Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are touring North America with Wild God, their 18th studio album. The band performed live at The Anthem in DC on April 21, and Parklife DC was in attendance as was producer and synthesist Johan Hauck of local dark synthpop duo 2DCAT.
Johan has long been an admirer of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, a band that inspires his own work. And so, Parklife Editor Mickey chatted with Johan about his takeaways from the band’s excellent live performance at The Anthem. And keep scrolling for some amazing photo coverage of the show by Nalinee Darmrong.
Mickey McCarter: You’re a local DC artist who is inspired by Nick Cave. Can you tell me a little bit about your relationship with his music?
Johan Hauck: My introduction to Nick Cave came through growing up in the German Schwarze Szene — basically the dark alternative music scene there. I was a huge Einstürzende Neubauten fan, and when I learned that Blixa was part of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (as well as late The Birthday Party material), it opened a whole new world for me. At first, it was all about the sound design for me, that raw, gritty texture of the early records. But what really hooked me was Nick’s storytelling. It’s not just the words he writes — it’s how he delivers them, with this unfiltered, sometimes almost uncomfortable emotion. Honestly, there are very few artists alive who can spin a story the way he does.
MM: He toured his new album at The Anthem recently — you and I were there! What do you think of Wild God? What was your takeaway from hearing the songs live?
JH: Absolutely! And we had just seen him a few days before at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, so his current set is still very fresh in my mind. Honestly, the DC show at The Anthem was a much better experience. The sound at The Anthem has always been fantastic, but hearing the difference between venues so close together really drove it home — it was night and day. I thought it was an incredible set. Experiencing Wild God live was something else — Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have such a magnetic energy onstage. I was completely mesmerized by Warren during “Frogs.” And I always love that they weave in earlier material too; hearing anything from From Her to Eternity still gives me chills.
Watch the official lyric video for “Frogs” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds on YouTube:
MM: What were the most exciting parts of the performance at The Anthem for you overall? How did this show compare to others?
JH: For me, it’s always the moments in between the songs that stick with me the most. When someone handed him this wooden egg, and watching him turn it over in his hands — equal parts baffled and amused — was honestly just as unforgettable as hearing him belt out “From Her to Eternity.” Making repeated call-backs to singing a “sad song” — those unscripted, almost absurd moments… that’s where you see his humor, his weirdness, his curiosity — the actual human beneath all that energy. Every time I leave one of his shows, I walk out thinking, “I would kill to just sit at a bar with this man and hear whatever wild story he feels like telling that day.” As for how this show compares to past ones — the biggest change I noticed was the absence of “Stagger Lee” in the setlist. It’s such a classic, and such a moment in his live sets, that it feels like the end of an era in a way. But at the same time, artists evolve, right? I respect even if part of me still wishes he’d play it!
MM: A lot of people seem like they are reconnecting to Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds specifically lately — people who have been in an admirer of Nick Cave solo or his band for a while perhaps are coming back? Do you agree with this assessment? The new music strives to be uplifting. Do you think that’s part of his appeal today?
JH: It’s hard to say for sure, but I do think there could something to that. Music consumption today is so shaped by recency bias — there’s this pressure on artists to constantly release new singles just to stay in the conversation. If you’re not dropping something every month or two, people tend to move on, even unintentionally. But artists like Nick Cave — or Depeche Mode and The Cure — don’t really play by those rules. They reemerge after a few years with something meaningful, and it feels significant when they do. In Germany, where I spent much of my adult life, Nick Cave’s reputation never really faded — he’s always been held in the highest regard. But I think in the USA, with Wild God, people are remembering just how much he has to say. As for the idea of Wild God being uplifting — I think there’s a case to be made, but to me, resiliency is the real theme. “Long Dark Night” is one of my favorite tracks, and while you could interpret it as hopeful, it’s still riddled in grief and struggle. It’s not exactly the kind of track I’d throw on to lift my spirits! For me, it’s more about enduring through darkness than escaping it.
Watch Nick Cave interact with the crowd at The Anthem in this video by Nalinee Darmrong:
MM: What would you say to a brand-new Nick Cave fan who was curious about learning more or going to a show?
JH: I think that Nick Cave’s music has evolved depending on where he is in his life — the sound, the feel, even the themes shift. I would say that the one theme that rarely shifts is sadness, but if Wild God is uplifting, then perhaps I am wrong! With that said, if you don’t immediately connect with one era, you’ll probably find another that hits you right in the heart. And honestly, everyone should experience Nick Cave live at least once. We actually have tickets to see him in three different cities on this tour alone. There are very few artists whose performances feel so vital that you want to see the same set multiple times — but Nick Cave is absolutely one of them.
Catch Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds on tour.
Buy tickets to the Cruel World Festival — the last date on the Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds USA tour!
Learn more about dark synthpop band 2DCAT!
Here are some photos of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds performing live at The Anthem on April 21, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
